Ps. 127 This wise prayer falls into two related parts. The first stanza (vv. 1, 2) expresses the belief that human effort is useless apart from God (paralleling the message of Ecclesiastes), whether for building a house, defending a city, or earning a living. The second stanza (vv. 3–5) focuses on another meaning of building, that of raising children. Children are a gift from God.

A father could be supported during his old age by strong, young sons. Children were a fulfillment of the promise to Abraham that the chosen people would become a great and numerous nation (Gen. 12:1–3). The ultimate focus of the Abrahamic promise of many descendants is on Jesus Christ. In the present day the psalm expresses the joy of Christian parents as they reflect on God’s gift of children and His promise to them (Acts 2:39).

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